Yellow gold DOES make diamonds look more tinted

[Dreamer_D]

I have now been utterly convinced of this statement based on personal experience.

I bought a 1ct OEC that was originally set in a yellow gold mount. I also bought a half carat OEC that was in a yellow gold mount.

In the mounts each diamond looks *at least* two color grades more tinted.

The most clear example of this was when I set the 1ct OEC into white gold and then compared it to my half carat in yellow gold. The two looked like a great match in color, very similar (the 1ct is an EGL I color)! In fact, at times in some lighting I thought the half carat might be a little more tinted than the one carat stone.

Well, last week I unset the half carat and WOAH! It is waaaaay less tinted than the one carat. I would guess it is a GIA G or even H color stone. Much less tinted than my EGL I and also noticably less tinted than my AGS I color 1/3 carat diamond -- I compared them loose face down on white paper.

So I am convinced, yellow gold makes diamonds look more tinted.

 

[Laila619]

Interesting! I think it depends on the cut of the diamond. Maybe OECs pick up more tint from their surroundings. I wore my Leo set in yellow gold for 3 years and it looked really white to me! The YG provided a nice contrast.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I am sure it looked white, but did you compare how it looked in one color metal and then the other?

 

[milton333]

I agree with Laila. My original e-ring was a Centillion cut, a 100-faceted stone, set in yellow gold. I honestly thought it looked a bit whiter than my AGS H stone that I bought for an upgrade. I had the Centillion unmounted for appraisal for insurance before setting in a pendant, and was very surprised that it was graded a J/K by the appraiser (an AGS gemologist). I would have pegged it G/H. The faceting pattern is probably a big part of it, but I think the Centillion looked very white in YG, probably whiter than it does in the WG (I never ever noticed tint before taking it out of its YG setting).

 

[Laila619]

I am sure it looked white, but did you compare how it looked in one color metal and then the other?

Yes, my DH originally proposed with a WG setting, which I didn't want because I didn't want to deal with re-plating.

When I switched to the yellow, I thought it popped more because of the contrast of the white stone and warm metal.

I wonder if antique stones pick up more color like from settings and surroundings.

 

[Rhea]

I remember LGK saying the same thing. She saw an unloved OEC (?) in the place she works set in a very heavy yellow bezel and she thought the diamond was a much lower colour, even after looking at it in different lights. When she bought it and unbezeled it it was in the near colourless range.

 

[Rhea]

Found LGK's thread - [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/lower-color-old-cuts-set-in-yellow-gold.165840/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/lower-color-old-cuts-set-in-yellow-gold.165840/[/URL]

I remembered a few of the details incorrect. Still, yellow gold made the diamond look more yellow!

 

[ChrisES]

I always thought two-tone rings were ugly, but after buying one for my fiancee I'm convinced that they're the way to go.

The ring has a very high setting because the shank tapers up around the lower part of the box and our jeweler very much wanted to make sure that the bottom of the stone was completely clear of the yellow gold, but the effect is dazzling. The warmth of a yellow gold ring but the stone looks completely white. The prongs hardly even register when you look at it in person (to me), even though they are quite massive because they're so high.

As sort of seen here:

 

[titian23]

Dreamer - I am SO glad you posted this. I just purchased a 0.93 OEC from Fortekitty that is a K color and I have been torn as to how to set it. I am going to get the fishtail prong setting that you have and I was considering going with Rose gold prongs and a white gold ring but when I was speaking to the appraiser on the phone yesterday he commented on how the diamond is currently set in white gold prongs and how they enhance the whiteness of the stone. I was so surprised he said that as on PS it seems everyone advises setting low color diamonds in yellow gold so as not to draw attention to the contrast in color between a slightly yellow tinted diamond and the white gold but seeing your post and hearing his comments I think I may just go completely with white gold or use white gold prongs and a rose gold ring.

 

[Skippy123]

I think it depends on the diamond. Seriously some diamonds pick up the yg and others don't so I think your statement doesn't work for All diamonds, it really depends. I think these sort of blanket statements hurt PS'ers because then they take them as fact. There are a few PS'ers that have L - S colored stones and the yellow and rose gold don't seem to make them look more tinted. I can post a few examples. . .

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The key to me is to always set the stone with white metal prongs (unless you are trying to enhance the yellow). Then it doesn't matter whether the shank is yellow or white. My original diamond was F color and extremely white set in a yellow gold ring...BUT the head (prongs) were white metal!!! There is no doubt that when the prongs are yellow, they will reflect in the diamond.

 

[Laila619]

I think it depends on the diamond. Seriously some diamonds pick up the yg and others don't so I think your statement doesn't work for All diamonds, it really depends. I think these sort of blanket statements hurt PS'ers because then they take them as fact. There are a few PS'ers that have L - S colored stones and the yellow and rose gold don't seem to make them look more tinted. I can post a few examples. . .

Yes. I know some posters who have K or L color stones deliberately set them in yellow instead of white/plat because they thought the stone would look whiter.

 

[Amys Bling]

Ver interesting! I do think cut of stone and prong color contribute a lot to the appearance of the color in the to e as well.

 

[usnwife]

@Dreamer

Big thanks for this post. I just had them modify my custom ring; it will now have a white gold sleeve around the center diamond with the outer bezel being pink gold. I want my diamond to look white.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I think it depends on the diamond. Seriously some diamonds pick up the yg and others don't so I think your statement doesn't work for All diamonds, it really depends. I think these sort of blanket statements hurt PS'ers because then they take them as fact. There are a few PS'ers that have L - S colored stones and the yellow and rose gold don't seem to make them look more tinted. I can post a few examples. . .

Yes. I know some posters who have K or L color stones deliberately set them in yellow instead of white/plat because they thought the stone would look whiter.

My statement is based on TWO very recent experiences where I had stones in yellow and then reset into white, and a comparison of three diamonds. I stand by my comment, I don't think it misleads anyone. It may only apply to OECs that have leakage and thus show the surrounding metal color more. But I would be interested to hear from more people who have done a side by side comparison like I did, rather than simply looking at a stone in its own.

Perhaps when you get into the very tinted range then yellow gold does not make it look more tinted because the stones are at a certain saturation point. This issue is also totally independent from what someone prefers *estetically*. My comment is not about estetics, but about perception of tint.

Photo examples will not convince me, but first hand experiences from people who have had diamonds in one setting and then the other might, but even then I would like to hear from peopel who compared two diamonds set in yellow and then reset into white. The comparison is what demonstrated this phenomenon to me.

What was also unique about my experience was that I was *comparing* two diamonds pre- and post- setting in yellow gold. I very well might not have noticed the difference in tint had I not been comparing.

In the first case, I compared my 1ct OEC in yellow gold with my moms .80ct OEC in yellow gold. My 1ct OEC looked much more tinted. When I unset my 1ct, it looked much less tinted than my mom's OEC, and this effect was compounded when I set my OEC into white metal. My 1ct is about a J color stone and my mom's OEC is an H. The two stones look similar in color when my 1ct is set into white and the 0.80ct is set in yellow.

The second experience I described above but will reiterate. My 1ct is in white and I compared to my half carat in yellow. They looked the same. I unset the half carat and it became clear that the half carat is actually less tinted than the 1ct. Again, I compared two diamonds pre- and post- setting in yellow metal.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Dreamer - I am SO glad you posted this. I just purchased a 0.93 OEC from Fortekitty that is a K color and I have been torn as to how to set it. I am going to get the fishtail prong setting that you have and I was considering going with Rose gold prongs and a white gold ring but when I was speaking to the appraiser on the phone yesterday he commented on how the diamond is currently set in white gold prongs and how they enhance the whiteness of the stone. I was so surprised he said that as on PS it seems everyone advises setting low color diamonds in yellow gold so as not to draw attention to the contrast in color between a slightly yellow tinted diamond and the white gold but seeing your post and hearing his comments I think I may just go completely with white gold or use white gold prongs and a rose gold ring.

This mount is really lovely! I suggest a single metal color, whatever you choose. The head is basically integrated into the shank and I don't think a two tone would work in this case.

Which metal you choose is your own personal preference. If you want it to look whiter, you know my opinion

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It also applies to stones set with yg prongs. The tips of the prongs are going to be reflected in the diamond. I just much prefer white metal so you can't see any color from that reflection.

 

[ChrisES]

This is getting a little afield, but one of my favorite two-tones that I wouldn't have thought would work but totally does was posted by Colored Gemstone Nut on the very first page of the huge SMTB thread, way back in 2003:



My fiancee and I both adore the Vatche Royal Crown setting in general, but stayed away because we were concerned that it wouldn't sit next to a band comfortably.

 

[Dreamer_D]

@Dreamer

Big thanks for this post. I just had them modify my custom ring; it will now have a white gold sleeve around the center diamond with the outer bezel being pink gold. I want my diamond to look white.

Your milage may vary of course! Can you perhaps set the diamond into different color metals to see for yourself how you feel?

It is an old cut, right? These stones often have leakage which makes them reveal what is under/around them because they are not reflecting light back at your eyes. In my mom's stone is set in yellow gold and you can distinctly see the yellow through the pavilion in macro, and in person I assume the color still is present. My 1ct was in a yellow gold mount with black burned dirt inside the basket when I got it and in fact the stone looked BLACK from the side view and from the top. So not only does yellow gold make OECs look more tinted (and I wager other cuts too, to a degree) but a black mount will also make a stone look tinted.

Here is an example. Side view of my diamond with the yellow/black mount. See how the stone on the left looks BLACK? That is not reflecting from above, but it is reflecting from *under* the stone (charred burned dirt from re-sizing coated the inside of the head )

Below that is a profile in white metal. You can see body color, no black.

 

[partgypsy]

I think this must be true to some extent, because when a diamond is being appraised when mounted, estimates only of color can be made. But it also makes sense that some cuts may be more vulnerable to this effect of reflecting back the surrounding color. Even well cut stones seem to have this effect, in the sense that you can see blue reflected in an ideal stone when the person is wearing blue, etc.
I would think this would have more of an effect in colorless/nearcolorless stones.
If a stone is more tinted I would imagine it would have less effect.

 

[titian23]

Thanks for mentioning that you don't think the two metals will integrate very well together as I was wondering that. I am picking the diamond up today so once I see it irl I'll let you know whether I decide to go white or rose gold but I think it will probably be white gold as that is what I wear most often.

Can't wait to post pics!

 

[ChrisES]

Can't wait to post pics!

Please do!!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Can't wait to post pics!

Please do!!!

Yes! You will love it. For the price the mount is really high quality. My instinct is to go for white metal because it is more timeless and you can easily find matching wedding bands

 

[Skippy123]

I can honestly say I had an I colored stone in a yellow gold setting and there was no difference in the tint from the yellow gold to white gold. So for me it did not make my stone more tinted. I was not a PS'er so I didn't take pics of it in the yellow gold; if I did I would post them.

 

[Laila619]

I always thought two-tone rings were ugly, but after buying one for my fiancee I'm convinced that they're the way to go.

The ring has a very high setting because the shank tapers up around the lower part of the box and our jeweler very much wanted to make sure that the bottom of the stone was completely clear of the yellow gold, but the effect is dazzling. The warmth of a yellow gold ring but the stone looks completely white. The prongs hardly even register when you look at it in person (to me), even though they are quite massive because they're so high.

As sort of seen here:

Beautiful ring, ChrisES!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I can honestly say I had an I colored stone in a yellow gold setting and there was no difference in the tint from the yellow gold to white gold. So for me it did not make my stone more tinted. I was not a PS'er so I didn't take pics of it in the yellow gold; if I did I would post them.

Were your prongs yellow?

I only noticed it in comparison to another diamond. On its own I don't think it would have been evident, just as I don't see the tint in my J color stones unless I have it near/next to a whiter stone. I suppose one could argue that means it did not *really look* more tinted, if you need a point of comparison.

Or maybe it is only for older cuts or cuts with leakage *shrug*.

 

[Skippy123]

I can honestly say I had an I colored stone in a yellow gold setting and there was no difference in the tint from the yellow gold to white gold. So for me it did not make my stone more tinted. I was not a PS'er so I didn't take pics of it in the yellow gold; if I did I would post them.

Were your prongs yellow?

I only noticed it in comparison to another diamond. On its own I don't think it would have been evident, just as I don't see the tint in my J color stones unless I have it near/next to a whiter stone. I suppose one could argue that means it did not *really look* more tinted, if you need a point of comparison.

Or maybe it is only for older cuts or cuts with leakage *shrug*.

yes, it was yellow gold.

 

[Amys Bling]

Thanks for mentioning that you don't think the two metals will integrate very well together as I was wondering that. I am picking the diamond up today so once I see it irl I'll let you know whether I decide to go white or rose gold but I think it will probably be white gold as that is what I wear most often.

Can't wait to post pics!

can't wait to see how you set it!!

 

[usnwife]

Yes- it is an OEC. I hope it doesn't look weird, with a two tone bezel. The CAD is my avatar. I plan on an "inner sleeve" of stuller x1 white gold by the diamond, then the outer part of the bezel being in 18k pink gold. I just hope it looks ok. The OEC is an I-J stone, but I want it to look white. The sides are going to be Peridot Green Colored Diamonds in 18k pink gold bezels. It is getting made by Green Lake, so I am going to trust they know how to make a good bezel.

 

[sphenequeen]

I think that this statement belongs on more of a spectrum - From my experience, some stones look whiter in yellow gold (as someone pointed out earlier), yellow gold can mask yellow in a diamond, and some yellow gold settings add warmth to the diamond. I think what is important to point out is that it depends on many variables, such as the quality of the stone in question, cut quality, and mounting style. To me, I think a bright white stone set in platinum can be very pretty, but if you have one of these "warmer" stones, that yellow stands out in a metal like platinum. I know someone with an F color RBC (GIA) that is set in the most ornate yellow gold ring and it just lets off this blinding white fire (if you know what I mean). You would never even imagine that the stone had more color than it was graded simply because it is set in yellow gold.